To think there’s no point being hungry if the weight isn’t coming off?

[Flaribeau]

The doctor has told me to lose weight because I’m at risk of diabetes. I’m absolutely starving but virtually no weight is coming off! I haven’t had a single biscuit or packet of crisps, no takeaways or alcohol at all, I’ve cut right down on carbs, I’ve started walking for an hour a day, and I’ve still only lost 2lb in an entire month.

AIBU to think being hungry is absolutely pointless if I’m not losing weight? Everyone says you lose loads in the first few weeks but I haven’t. I was expecting to have lost half a stone by now. I’m suffering for no reason because the weight isn’t coming off 😭

But you will get used to cutting out bread, rice etc and replacing them with veg and beans and legumes.

You will soon enjoy your diet. You need to stick at it. If you really can't cut out carbs after you have tried it for 6 months, then you you might as well not try as it is making you miserable. You have to decide if having diabetes will make you more or less miserable than changing your diet.

Also, replace carbs with nuts and seeds (small amounts).

I think you need to follow a proper diet plan OP. You aren’t hugely overweight at all but perhaps some nutritional advice would help you? Your GP could refer you or you could think about either weightwatchers or slimming world which are low sugar, low fat plans.

You are right that a few slices of bread a day isn’t abnormal in this country but you won’t actually lose weight on that much bread. You’ll maintain weight and that’s stressing you out. Any proper diet plan would limit you to a slice of wholemeal bread or measured portion of fibre/grains per day if you want to lose.

its surprising how many bad habits are considered normal eating in this country and you will be surprised by the educational aspects of a proper diet plan. You also will be surprised that you will not be starving anymore.

you could also try to incorporate more water and intermittent fasting like 16/8 which can be very effective.

Mashed potatoes are a bit controversial when it comes to diabetes or pre diabetes though. Mashing potatoes increases the GI content, which in turn, increases the potential impact on blood sugar levels.

Oh OP, you poor thing! Being hungry all the time is the most miserable existence, I really feel for you.

I wanted to shift some fat stores but I had a few criteria:

• Hunger wasn't allowed, apart from normal hunger before a meal.
• My nutrition couldn't suffer
• I refuse to do anything temporary like Slimmingworld or diet shakes. It had to be a permanent change
• No muscle loss

I started using Cronometer to track my normal eating patterns. At this point I did NOT change anything, it was just to track data for a couple of months.

The app tracks calories but most importantly it tracks vitamins, minerals, and food groups. I wanted to see where I was lacking so I could see where the 'quick wins' would be for good health.

Each 2-4 I changed one thing... eg, adding 50 grams of mung sprouts to my daily intake to hit my targets for fibre and protein. Or quitting fruit juice. Or doing a 5-minute weights session twice a week. Whatever was easy and felt comfortable

Over time I realised I'd naturally gone into a calorie deficit and was becoming stronger.

I don't own scales so I don't know how much I've lost but my clothes are looser, my skin looks better, and my thighs don't rub together.

Sorry this is so long! My point is to understand your diet first without doing anything, then modify your habits in small increments so they stick. And get proper help from a dietician, you can't live hungry, it's not worth it.

That should read "every 2 - 4 weeks"

That sounds tough.

Perhaps a blood sugar monitor would help you understand what's going on with the foods you're eating and your body's response to them. There's one called Zoe, founded by Dr Tim Spector which has amazing reviews.

The idea is that you wear it on your arm, it monitors your blood sugar response to everything you eat, and that way you have full visibility over which foods/meals cause your blood sugar to spike and which ones don't (and this is very different for everyone, you cannot go by generic 'diet' advice).

It might be worth trying for you so you can understand what's going on with your blood sugar at all times, and figure out which foods work well for you so you can control your blood sugar and lose weight if needed. It's also data you can share with your doctor in case something like insulin resistance is a factor for you.

Sorry for the poor advice, mine included.

What sort of medical support are you getting?

Doesn't seem very helpful if you've just been advised to lose weight and been given no other help or support.

Carbs seem to be an issue, and not understanding what to replace them with. As well as lack of support from your partner - eating crap in front of you and expecting big dinners is not supportive. Does he understand why the doctor has told you to lose weight? And what the potential consequences are?

I asked him if my diagnosis had given him a scare, and he said no not really. He’s still drinking sugary soft drinks, two plates of dinner and sweets after dinner every night.

The doctor said they would refer me for a pre diabetes Zoom course. But that was a month ago and there’s been no further contact. I pursued it but was told the NHS lacks funding and I would have to wait.

I'm a bread addict, but it can aggravate my crohn's disease. I make this as a subsitute for toast (I omit the herbs and eat it toasted with peanut butter): https://www.yellowkitebooks.co.uk/yellow-kite-books-posts/yellow-kite-books-healthy-eating/2016/06/07/deliciously-ellas-superfood-bread-recipe/

It's amazingly filling!

Just to set expectations, it's definitely not light and fluffy, but it really does taste good :-D

Regardless of weight loss, you’re already healthier because you’re cutting back on processed food and refined sugar, and so you’re doing the right thing to beat the diabetes. I’m afraid that if things have got to the point where you’re pre-diabetic, you’re going to have to take responsibility and deal with some discomfort.

Push again, or see if there is a course you can do privately.
At a minimum ask them if they have a list of resources you can look at - websites, studies, books (request specific titles from the library if money is tight).

It doesn't say a lot about the state of the NHS. They could be actively preventing diabetes in your case, which is much cheaper than treating it.

Changing your habits could also have a positive effect on your children's health - they will learn from what they see.

I can't advise much on the partner front. Hopefully you can find a way to get through to him. But you've managed to lose 2lb in spite of this, which is great.

I say this as someone who struggles with weight, but am losing it steadily. And have a husband that sounds similar to yours - sweets and processed crap, and it's not a proper dinner if its not huge and full of meat and carbs.

As a previous poster has said you need to swap to low carb bread. SRSLY do wraps, bread and rolls. I tried intermittent fasting and all sorts to lose weight but switching to low carb has seen me lose a good few pounds in a couple of weeks. During the week I swap all my bread for low carb bread and swap pasta and spaghetti for sliced up green beans. It’s made a massive difference for me. I still have a glass of wine of an evening and on a weekend I don’t restrict myself at all. It’s totally the bread I’m afraid. Switch it tho and you’ll see a big difference. I totally don’t feel like I’m missing out anymore AND I’m steadily losing weight 🙂🙂 x

Cut out all the carbs. This is especially good when diabetes is an issue. I would say based on the food you're listing you're not cutting down on carbs at all as you state in the OP. Toast with philedephia is not a healthy breakfast by any stretch of the imagination. Try eggs and bacon or lean sam instead. Salad for lunch and meat and veg for dinner.

If you’re miserable at the thought of controlling your diet to stop you tipping over into type 2 diabetes, maybe you need to know what you what could be facing you should that happen ? Consistently raised levels of blood glucose gradually affect your organs, so you’re at increased risk of heart disease and stroke, kidney failure and problems with eyesight. If you need meds to help control your sugar levels, following a suitable diet becomes even more important to avoid having to increase your meds. You’re also at increased risk of lower limb amputation due to diabetic ulcers - caused by a combination of poor circulation, susceptibility to infection and nerve damage from high blood sugar levels.

A condition called polyneuropathy damages nerves and causes numbness in the feet, and makes injury more likely - even the smallest of traumas can result in an ulcer that either takes a very long time to heal or won’t heal at all. 60% of diabetics develop polyneuropathy leading to a foot ulcer. A relative has been struggling with diabetic ulcers for about eighteen months, as a result of failing to regulate blood sugar levels. He lost the fight, along with his leg about a month ago. Surely it’s better to take steps now to avoid the horrendous effects of type 2 later on.

By what you have said, it seems that you are about 5'2 if you are 7lbs overweight at 10 stone?
Only thing for it is to cut out the white carbs. Bread and rice and pasta.
It's what I have to do, to stay on the BMI line between normal and overweight even though like you I still cook or make sandwiches with them for DP and DC.
It's hard I know.

I’m 5ft 6. Healthy weight for me is 11st 2, currently 11st 9. The doctor felt that 7lb wasn’t enough to cause prediabetes, he was immensely puzzled because my tummy is huge (waist 36) even though I’m only a little bit overweight. So he wants me to aim for 9st.

You need to up your healthy fats and protein to fill up and cut down the bread portions

I don't think you're being unreasonable to be feeling hungry. Definitely do not follow the advice of others who are suggesting you cut down more carbs or shouldn't eat breakfast. It's about making smart choices.

You need to balance your carbs with fats and bulk out meals with vegetables and protein. So it's not to say you can't have toast, but also have two eggs too, and maybe some avocado. It'll fill you up for longer. You can definitely have more than one potato. Your body needs carbs to function and to use as energy.

You've recently just started exercising an hour a day that you weren't doing before, but you've cut out all your carbs. You need them for energy to burn! You will find if you increase your carbohydrate intake you will probably lose more weight. I know it feels counter productive to do that, but it should work. And you need to be smart about which carbs you are having. So use seeded or granary bread when having toast, pasta is ok for some people (actually number of carbs in white or wholemeal pasta isn't all that different). Potatoes are higher in carbohydrates, but smaller new potatoes are better than say a big 'floury' white potato or Maris piper. Whenever you have carbs have them with fats. Hopefully you'll see an improvement.

Also, make sure you're drinking plenty of water and you are allowed a biscuit, just digestives/rich teas are preferable! Good luck

Think of hunger as a natural physical event, not as 'suffering'. It's normal to feel hungry some of the time, even if you are not dieting. But if you are hungry all the time you are either not eating enough or not eating the right foods.

I'm struggling to understand, if it's only 7lb. The GP seems to have scared the OP senseless.

Add veggies. Lots of veggies- they’ll keep you feel fuller

This is what I'd do. I've always found it miserable not being able to eat much so I lift instead and eat loads.

At one point I followed the guidelines from The National Strength and Conditioning Association and had 20 cals per lb of bodyweight, which was 2800 cals for me. I didn't get fat but did stop it as I don't want to be too muscley, decided I'd rather try and get stronger at my current weight.

Still eat way over 2k cals though.

It's not the amount of weight. It's the position of the weight - largely abdominal which is more unhealthy than an even spread. Plus the increased blood sugar levels.

Regardless of the weight you need to get your blood sugar under control. Eating less carbs / sugars is the way to do this.

You'll either then loose weight, or not. But if you're only 7lb over and your blood sugar is better then perhaps the weight doesn't matter?